Luka Doncic has played four games for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Anthony Davis has played one game for the Dallas Mavericks since the blockbuster trade between the two teams involving those two All-Stars.
The Feb. 1 trade agreement shocked the NBA – even league commissioner Adam Silver said “I was surprised when I heard about the trade. I did not know that Luka was potentially a player that was about to be traded. That was news to me,” – and the repercussions are both short-term and long-term for the Lakers, Mavericks and the league.
It’s still early, and sweeping conclusions are unjustified, but so far, the Lakers have won the trade – on the court and in the court of public opinion.
Let’s take a look at how the trade has worked so far ahead of Tuesday night’s game between the Lakers and Mavericks (10 p.m. ET, TNT).
Who won the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade?
The Lakers with Luka Doncic
Doncic has played in four games and sat out four games due to injuries with the Lakers, who are 2-2 in the games he has played. The results have been mixed – losses to Charlotte and Utah were bad considering both teams are headed for top-five lottery picks.
However, Saturday’s 123-100 victory against smoking-hot Denver was impressive. Doncic had 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals, and Doncic and LeBron James combined for 57 points, 19 rebounds, 12 assists, five steals and three blocks.
Before Saturday, the Lakers were 3-14 against the Nuggets since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Nuggets ousted the Lakers from the 2023 playoffs in four games and the 2024 playoffs in five games.
Los Angeles needed that win, and Doncic helped provide it. His offense alongside James will give the Lakers a chance for a deep playoff run, especially if they can secure a top-four seed in the West. James passing to Doncic, Doncic passing to James and both passing to teammates will continue to create problems for defenses.
Also remember, the Lakers only had to give up one first-round pick to acquire a player who is a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and third-place finisher in the 2023-24 MVP race. The young star turns 26 Friday.
The Mavericks with Anthony Davis
Davis sustained an adductor (inner thigh) strain in his Mavericks debut Feb. 8 and has been out since. He was in the middle of a fantastic game with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks when the injury occurred. He will be re-evaluated around March 6.
It hurts the Mavericks that Davis is not on the court, especially since the defending Western Conference champions are tied for seventh and just one game behind the sixth-place Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavericks made this trade for several reasons, and one was Doncic’s absences related to health issues. However, Davis – while he has been mostly available this season and last season – has a history of injuries that have sidelined him for significant portions of a season.
Davis remains one of the best offensive-defensive two-way big men in the league, and the Mavs’ success depends on Davis.
The Max Christie part of this trade shouldn’t be overlooked, either. He was beginning to find his role as a starter and 3-point shooter for the Lakers. In eight games, he has nearly doubled his scoring average this season from 8.5 with the Lakers to 15.3 with Dallas. His 3-point percentage has jumped from .368 with Los Angeles to .436 with the Mavericks. His minutes and opportunities have increased after the trade and he scored at least 15 points in his first seven games with his new team, including 23 points in a victory against Houston.
But that is secondary to the public relations disaster surround the Mavericks over this trade.
Dallas fans remain unhappy about the trade and the character assassination of Doncic on his way out of Dallas and there is head-scratching around the league, especially among players.
Silver said, “In terms of the Dallas fans, all I can say to them is again, time will tell whether it was a smart trade, but I think they should believe in their organization. Their organization truly made a trade that they believed was in the best interest of the organization, and in many cases, again, it doesn’t mean they were right or wrong, but it’s very difficult to put yourself in their shoes. They are living with the situation. They have a philosophical belief on what’s necessary ultimately to win championships, and I’m not in a position to second-guess that.”
Silver might not be in position to second-guess that trade – and he shouldn’t – but outside the league office, the second-guessing will continue. For a long time.